As a mysterious organ of men, the prostate gland is known as the "life gland" of men, which not only provides nutrition by secreting prostate fluid sperm, but also controls urination, which is very important for men.
In recent years, more and more people have paid attention to prostate diseases, especially prostate cancer, which has become the most malignant tumor in mainland men's urinary system tumors, because it is not easy to be found, and is often described as a "silent killer". But there are always people who are silly about the relationship between prostatitis, prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer.
Below, according to the attention of Tencent Medical Code netizens, for you to answer the 7 prostate problems you care about.
Misunderstanding 1 Chronic prostatitis is not cured, will it turn into prostate cancer?
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It is safe to say that this conclusion is baseless.
The cause of prostate cancer is not well understood, and may be related to factors such as race, genetics, environment, food, smoking, etc. Studies believe that DHT plays an important role in the development of prostate cancer, and epidemiological studies also believe that the prerequisites for the development of prostate cancer are three elements: male, age and androgen stimulation.
Clinically, chronic prostatitis has a high incidence in young adults, while prostate cancer is more common in elderly men.
In acute attacks, prostatitis can present with fever and burning pain in urination, and can also cause a temporary increase in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values, but usually anti-inflammatory treatment, these inflammations will quickly subside, and PSA will also rapidly decline to normal levels in a short period of time.
Prostatitis does not affect the secretion of androgens and hormones in the testicles and the metabolism of hormones, and epidemiological studies have not found an inevitable link between chronic prostatitis and the occurrence of prostate cancer. Of course, for elderly patients with prostatitis, it is still necessary to pay attention to regular examination of PSA to avoid missed diagnosis and delay the best treatment time. [1~5]
Myth 2: Does prostate puncture hurt? Need to take anesthesia?
Puncture pain feels very small and is usually anesthetic.
In general, most hospitals perform local mucosal surface anesthesia during transrectal prostate puncture, and local infiltrative anesthesia is required for transperineal puncture.
There are two main aspects of prostate puncture biopsy discomfort, one is that the ultrasound probe and the puncture gun are placed in the rectum to cause discomfort, similar to the digital rectal examination, most of which can be tolerated; the other is that the needle pierces the prostate through the rectal wall and will be somewhat uncomfortable.
However, because the needle is thinner and the needle is inserted quickly and instantaneously, it is less painful and generally bearable in the patient's calm and relaxed situation. A small number of patients will still feel localized pain after the puncture and can be dealt with with oral analgesics.
Misunderstanding three Men often masturbate, will they get prostate cancer?
Masturbation is a common phenomenon in men, and frequent masturbation may cause congestion and congestion of the prostate, but excessive abstinence can also cause the accumulation of prostatic fluid.
The impact of male masturbation on the body and mind is more due to the psychological burden brought by frequent masturbation, most adult men as long as they grasp a certain frequency of masturbation is not necessary to worry about masturbation induced prostatitis, moderate masturbation can also help clear prostatic fluid, alleviate the blood stasis of the prostate, and have a certain positive effect on protecting and restoring prostate function.
Therefore, frequent masturbation can lead to prostate cancer, and there is no scientific basis.
Misunderstanding 4 Can Lycopene Prevent Prostate Cancer?
Eating more tomatoes to prevent prostate cancer is not reliable. Although lycopene is beneficial, it is not enough to "fight cancer".
Eating more fruits and vegetables can reduce your risk of cancer. The researchers believe that this benefit may be related to the micronutrients contained in fruits and vegetables.
Carotenoids are a class of nutrients that are thought to have chemopreventive effects. Lycopene is a common circulating carotenoid, it has a variety of potential activities, including antioxidant effects, it is found in many vegetables, the most common of which is tomatoes, if these foods are cooked, and there is also oil present, lycopene will be more easily absorbed by the body.
However, the current study, after analyzing the published data, believes that there is insufficient evidence that lycopene reduces the risk of prostate cancer, and the conclusion that lycopene supplementation can reduce the risk of prostate cancer remains to be confirmed. [6]
Myth 5 Can selenium and vitamin E supplementation prevent prostate cancer?
Not really.
A large randomized, placebo-controlled trial on cancer prevention of selenium and vitamin E provides credible evidence for the role of vitamin E and selenium in cancer prevention. However, vitamin E and selenium supplementation does not reduce the prevalence of prostate cancer, and taking vitamin E alone increases the risk of prostate cancer.
Notably, the increased risk of prostate cancer caused by vitamin E was found after discontinuing supplementation, suggesting that vitamin E may have long-term effects. [7]
Misunderstanding 6 Is having prostate cancer equivalent to "sentencing to death"?
Prostate cancer usually develops relatively slowly, growing, spreading, and metastasis much more slowly than tumors such as lung cancer and liver cancer.
In general, prostate cancer does not affect the life expectancy of patients, and most prostate cancer patients often die from other systemic diseases.
In the United States, the 5-year survival rate of prostate cancer can reach 99%, and the prognosis is the best among all kinds of malignancies. For early-stage prostate cancer, the 5-year survival rate after radical surgery is almost 100%, and the 10-year survival rate can also reach 90%. Radical radiotherapy can also achieve better results in patients who are older or in poor physical condition who cannot tolerate surgery.
Therefore, after the diagnosis of prostate cancer, patients and family members should actively seek help from specialists, who will make comprehensive judgments based on the patient's life expectancy, tumor stage grading and whether there are distant metastases and other factors, and finally formulate an individualized treatment plan for the patient.
In addition, techniques such as cryoablation and in vivo radiation therapy can also be used as appropriate for individualized treatment.
At present, many patients in mainland China are already in the middle and advanced stages when they are diagnosed, and they can still take comprehensive treatment based on endocrine therapy to control the development of the disease and extend life expectancy.
Misunderstanding 7 Will there be loss of sexual function after prostate removal?
Most patients develop erectile dysfunction after surgery, but generally return to normal within one year of surgery.
Erectile function is neurologically innervated, and on both sides of the prostate, there is a structure called a "neurovascular bundle", and the nerve that innervates the erection of the penis is included in this structure.
Traditional radical prostate cancer surgery, in order to remove the lesion as thoroughly as possible, usually damages the "neurovascular bundle", resulting in erectile dysfunction in most patients after surgery.
Radical prostate cancer resection has been carried out in recent years to preserve the neurovascular bundle as completely as possible under the premise of ensuring complete tumor resection, so as to preserve sexual function as much as possible. Therefore, with the development of neurovascular bundle protection technology, most patients can generally return to normal sexual function within one year after surgery.
*The content of this article is a popularization of health knowledge and cannot be used as a specific diagnosis and treatment recommendation, nor is it a substitute for face-to-face consultation by a practicing physician, for reference only.
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